1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to an image reading device, and, more particularly, to an image reading device having an improved cooler to remove heat generated from the interior of the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a variety of electronic appliances including, for example, image forming apparatuses, such as digital copiers, facsimiles, and devices combining functions thereof, and image reading devices provided in the image forming apparatuses, or other similar apparatuses.
Since electronic appliances contain electronic elements therein, generation of heat is inevitable after continuous operation for a predetermined time. For this reason, electronic appliances include a cooler to remove heat generated therein.
The cooler includes a motor and a fan, and is generally adapted to forcibly move outside air into an electronic appliance for removal of heat generated in the electronic appliance. Such forced movement of outside air, however, causes impurities, such as dust, etc., contained in the outside air to be introduced into the electronic appliance. This is particularly problematic in the case of an image reading device having optical elements therein because introduction of the impurities due to the cooler causes contamination of the optical elements.